Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== gāngcái: 刚才 - Just Now, A Moment Ago ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** gāngcái, 刚才, gāngcái meaning, just now in Chinese, a moment ago in Chinese, Chinese time words, difference between 刚才 and 刚刚, gāngcái vs gānggāng, HSK 2 grammar, learn Chinese * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese time word **刚才 (gāngcái)**, which means "just now" or "a moment ago." This page provides a comprehensive guide for beginners, breaking down its meaning, cultural context, and practical usage. We'll explore clear example sentences and, most importantly, clarify the critical difference between the similar-sounding words **刚才 (gāngcái)** and **刚刚 (gānggāng)** to avoid common mistakes. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** gāngcái * **Part of Speech:** Time Noun * **HSK Level:** HSK 2 * **Concise Definition:** A point in time in the very recent past, typically within the last few minutes or up to about half an hour ago. * **In a Nutshell:** Think of **刚才 (gāngcái)** as pointing to a specific, finished moment on a timeline that just passed. If you're talking at 3:05 PM, **刚才** could be 3:00 PM or 2:55 PM. It's a noun that specifies *when* an action happened, setting the scene in the immediate past. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **刚 (gāng):** This character's original meaning is related to something hard, firm, or rigid. In modern Chinese, it commonly means "just" or "barely," as in something that has *just* come into being or happened. * **才 (cái):** This character can mean "talent" or "ability." However, when used in the context of time, it often functions as a particle emphasizing lateness ("only then") or, in this compound, simply helps to specify a point in time. * Together, **刚才 (gāngcái)** literally combines "just" and a time-related particle to create a specific noun: "the moment just past." ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== * While **刚才 (gāngcái)** doesn't carry deep philosophical weight like `[[关系]] (guānxi)`, its existence highlights a feature of the Chinese language: a preference for using specific time nouns to frame a sentence. * In English, we often convey the "just now" feeling by changing the verb tense (e.g., "I ate" vs. "I have just eaten"). Chinese, which lacks verb conjugations, relies heavily on time words like **刚才** placed at the beginning of a sentence to provide this temporal context. * Comparing **刚才** to the English "a little while ago" shows a difference in precision. "A little while ago" can be vague, stretching from minutes to an hour or more depending on context. **刚才** is almost always more immediate, referring to events fresh in the speaker's mind, usually within the last 5-30 minutes. This reflects a conversational tendency to be quite specific about recent timelines. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== * **刚才 (gāngcái)** is an extremely common word in daily conversation. It's considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal situations. * As a time noun, it has flexible placement. It can be placed: 1. **Before the subject:** `刚才 你去哪儿了？(Gāngcái nǐ qù nǎr le?)` - "Where did you go just now?" 2. **After the subject, before the verb:** `你 刚才 去哪儿了？(Nǐ gāngcái qù nǎr le?)` - "Where did you go just now?" * It can even function as the subject of a sentence, which is impossible for its English equivalent "just now." For example: `刚才 的天气真好。(Gāngcái de tiānqì zhēn hǎo.)` - "The weather just now was really good." ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * **刚才** 是谁打的电话？ * Pinyin: **Gāngcái** shì shéi dǎ de diànhuà? * English: Who was it that called just now? * Analysis: Here, **刚才** is placed at the very beginning of the sentence to establish the timeframe for the question. * **Example 2:** * 我 **刚才** 在开会，没听到手机响。 * Pinyin: Wǒ **gāngcái** zài kāihuì, méi tīngdào shǒujī xiǎng. * English: I was in a meeting just now, so I didn't hear my phone ring. * Analysis: This shows **刚才** used to explain the reason for a past inaction. The timeframe "just now" is when the meeting was happening. * **Example 3:** * 你 **刚才** 说的话，我没太听懂。 * Pinyin: Nǐ **gāngcái** shuō de huà, wǒ méi tài tīng dǒng. * English: I didn't quite understand what you said just now. * Analysis: This is a very common and polite way to ask for clarification about something said moments before. * **Example 4:** * **刚才** 的风很大，现在停了。 * Pinyin: **Gāngcái** de fēng hěn dà, xiànzài tíng le. * English: The wind was very strong a moment ago, but it has stopped now. * Analysis: A perfect example of **刚才** being used as a noun phrase (`刚才的风`, the wind of just now) acting as the subject of the sentence. * **Example 5:** * 我忘了 **刚才** 想问你什么问题了。 * Pinyin: Wǒ wàng le **gāngcái** xiǎng wèn nǐ shénme wèntí le. * English: I forgot what question I wanted to ask you just now. * Analysis: This demonstrates how **刚才** can modify an action (`想问`, wanted to ask) that occurred in the recent past. * **Example 6:** * 经理 **刚才** 来找过你。 * Pinyin: Jīnglǐ **gāngcái** lái zhǎo guo nǐ. * English: The manager came looking for you a moment ago. * Analysis: A typical office scenario. The particle `过 (guo)` indicates a past experience, which works perfectly with the time word **刚才**. * **Example 7:** * 他 **刚才** 还在这儿，怎么一转眼就不见了？ * Pinyin: Tā **gāngcái** hái zài zhèr, zěnme yī zhuǎnyǎn jiù bùjiàn le? * English: He was still here just now, how did he disappear in the blink of an eye? * Analysis: This sentence contrasts the recent past (`刚才`) with the present moment, expressing surprise. * **Example 8:** * 我们 **刚才** 讨论的结果是什么？ * Pinyin: Wǒmen **gāngcái** tǎolùn de jiéguǒ shì shénme? * English: What was the result of the discussion we had just now? * Analysis: **刚才** specifies the time of the discussion, making the question precise. * **Example 9:** * 对不起，我 **刚才** 没看见你。 * Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ **gāngcái** méi kànjiàn nǐ. * English: Sorry, I didn't see you just now. * Analysis: A common apology. Note the use of `没 (méi)` to negate a past action, which is used with **刚才**. * **Example 10:** * 你看，这是我 **刚才** 拍的照片。 * Pinyin: Nǐ kàn, zhè shì wǒ **gāngcái** pāi de zhàopiàn. * English: Look, this is the photo I took a moment ago. * Analysis: **刚才** acts as an adverbial here, modifying the verb `拍 (pāi)` to indicate when the photo was taken. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * The most significant pitfall for learners is confusing **刚才 (gāngcái)** with **刚刚 (gānggāng)**. They both translate to "just" in English, but their grammatical functions are completely different. * **刚才 (gāngcái) = Time Noun** * Refers to the time *before* the action happened (e.g., "at the time which was a moment ago"). * Can be the subject of a sentence (`刚才的风`, The wind just now). * Can be negated with `没 (méi)` or `不 (bù)`. * Example: `我 **刚才** 没吃饭。(Wǒ gāngcái méi chīfàn.)` - "I didn't eat just now." (Correct) * **刚刚 (gānggāng) = Adverb** * Refers to an action that was *just completed*. It emphasizes the recency of the action itself. * Must be placed immediately before the verb. * Cannot be the subject of a sentence. * Cannot be negated with `不 (bù)`. * Example: `我 **刚刚** 吃完饭。(Wǒ gānggāng chīwán fàn.)` - "I just finished eating." (Correct) * **Side-by-Side Comparison:** * `他 **刚才** 来了。(Tā gāngcái lái le.)` -> He came just now. (Focus on the time: "a moment ago"). * `他 **刚刚** 来。(Tā gānggāng lái.)` -> He just arrived. (Focus on the action: "the arrival is recent"). * `**刚才** 太吵了。(Gāngcái tài chǎo le.)` -> It was too noisy just now. (Correct, `刚才` is a noun referring to that time period). * `**刚刚** 太吵了。(Gānggāng tài chǎo le.)` -> (Incorrect usage, as `刚刚` is an adverb and cannot be the subject). ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * `[[刚刚]] (gānggāng)` - An adverb meaning "just," describing a recently completed action. The most common point of confusion with `刚才`. * `[[才]] (cái)` - An adverb indicating that an action happened later than expected or "only then." It is a component of `刚才` but has a distinct grammatical function on its own. * `[[就]] (jiù)` - The counterpart to `才`. An adverb indicating an action happened earlier or more easily than expected. * `[[一会儿]] (yīhuìr)` - "A little while." Usually refers to a short period in the future (e.g., `我一会儿就来` - I'll come in a bit), but can sometimes refer to a duration in the past (e.g., `我看了一会儿书` - I read for a little while). Unlike `刚才`, it denotes duration, not a point in time. * `[[马上]] (mǎshàng)` - "Immediately, right away." Refers to the immediate future, the opposite direction in time from `刚才`. * `[[立刻]] (lìkè)` - "Immediately, at once." A more formal synonym for `马上`. * `[[以前]] (yǐqián)` - "Before, in the past." A very general term for the past, much broader and less specific than `刚才`. * `[[之前]] (zhīqián)` - "Before this/that..." Often used in relation to a specific event, e.g., `开会之前 (kāihuì zhīqián)` - before the meeting.